Science essay:What factors affect potential and kinetic energy

Many factors affect potential and kinetic energy. Kinetic energy is energy in motion, while potential energy is energy that hasn't happened yet. But what factors actually affect them? Kinetic and potential energy are affected by various factors. Let's dive into them.

Kinetic energy is the energy an object produces when moving. Due to gravity, kinetic energy is affected by the object's mass and velocity. If, say, the Hagia Sophia was hit by an earthquake, the movement that this created would be an example of kinetic energy. Its structure was designed to be lightweight and flexible, as much as it could be with its enormous size. By reducing its mass, the Hagia Sophia's creators made sure it would be able to withstand earthquakes that destroyed the buildings surrounding it. The earthquake's strength determines its velocity so, say the earthquake was 6.5 magnitude. You would multiply the Hagia Sophia's mass by the velocity caused by the earthquake. Thus you would have the kinetic energy created by the earthquake.

Potential energy is a little different. It is the energy an object has the potential to create. The energy produced is determined similarly to kinetic. It depends on the object's mass, the gravitational pull when up or down slopes, and the height of the reference point. For example, if I was standing on the side walk and a car was in a garage, the reference point would be where I stood. When the car rolls out of the garage, it transforms its potential energy to kinetic. The car is being helped by gravity to go down the driveway, but gravity is the force on an object's mass. If a car was rolled down a hill, a heavier car would roll faster because its mass would be more affected by gravity.

The differences between the two are subtle, but important. The difference is the factors. Kinetic energy can be affected by velocity, while potential energy can be affected by reference point, such as the very tip of a cliff. If a boulder was on the tip of a cliff, the wind could move it ever so slightly so that it could come crashing down. The boulder's energy is potential until it is moved so that it rolls down the hill. Then it is kinetic. It is affected by both factors of kinetic and potential energy.

In summary, kinetic energy is the energy produced by movement and potential energy is the energy that could be created by movement. While some factors remain constant for both, the distinction between the two is that kinetic energy has a factor that potential energy doesn't have; velocity. Meanwhile, potential energy can be influenced by the object's reference point.